


sunshine of our love

by irleggsy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Hinata Natsu, BAMF Hinata Shouyou, Fluff, Hinata Natsu & Hinata Shouyou Are Twins, Multi, Not Beta Read, Realistic Siblings, Team as Family, Transgender Characters, chronic injury, only slightly though, very self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:53:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24726301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irleggsy/pseuds/irleggsy
Summary: Hinata Natsu and Hinata Shoyou are twins.Attached at the hip for their whole lives and near-identical to boot, they have an inseparable bond only strengthened by their love of volleyball. This year, however, is the first year that they will go separate ways.OR: Natsu goes to Shiratorizawa, Shoyou goes to Karasuno. Years of competition between the two push each other to succeed and they're bothreallygood at volleyball. This changes things, and at the same time, it doesn't.
Relationships: Hinata Natsu & Hinata Shouyou
Comments: 38
Kudos: 211





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sky Full of Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20368165) by [grilledsquids](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grilledsquids/pseuds/grilledsquids). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!!
> 
> this is a VERY self-indulgent work. it kinda doesn't have a plot, but i have a few changes in mind for canon...? that might become relevant later on? yeah, i don't even know. enjoy!

_ Hinata Natsu and Hinata Shoyou are twins. _

_ Attached at the hip for their whole lives and near-identical to boot, they have an inseparable bond only strengthened by their love of volleyball. _

_ This year, however, is the first year that they will go separate ways. _

It was an innocuous package with minimalist lettering, but the important thing was that it was colored  _ maroon. _

Hands trembling, Natsu clumsily ripped open the envelope—and ripped the letter in half with it.

She smacked a palm to her face. “Stupid!” She didn’t let that stop her though, quickly taping both of the halves back together with scotch tape. She began to read it.

_ We are pleased to offer you admission for the 2012-2013 year... due to your scores on the entrance exam, we are offering a reward of a full academic scholarship... _

“...Oh. My God,” she whispered.

Today was a  _ very _ good day.

—

Natsu burst through the door with a scream of joy. “Shoyou! Mom!” She ran into the living room, frantically waving the paper up and down. “I got it! I got the academic scholarship!”

Shoyou, in a blur of orange, jump-tackled her with a hug and a noogie. “Fraternizing with the enemy! We got a traitor over here!” he bellowed. “Betrayal! Betrayal of the highest order!”

“Owowowow,” Natsu whined and poked him in the ribs. Her brother wheezed in betrayal. “You’re so mean to your favorite sister!”

Shoyou snickered.  _ “And _ my least favorite!” A mischievous smile slowly spread across his face.

Natsu narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “What are you thinking—Shoyou, no, don’t you dare—!” Her arms shot out to his shoulders to support herself.

In a flash, he crouched down and hoisted her up by her legs. She squeaked, knowing he was fully capable of tossing her around, but praying he wouldn’t drop her nonetheless. He spun them around the room in joy. “My sister’s going to Shiratorizawaaaaa!” He cheered.

Natsu blinked as if just remembering that fact. Then she threw her hands up in the air. “I’m going to Shiratorizawaaaaaa!”

They whooped and hollered and jumped, nearly hitting Natsu’s head on the ceiling. “Shoyou, put her down,” Their mother scolded him but her words held no heat. When they came back to Earth, she embraced them both and pressed a kiss to Natsu’s temple. “I’m so proud of you Natsu. You’re both going to do such great things,”

Natsu nodded vigorously. “This injury won't hold me back!” She elbowed her brother playfully. “As soon as I get on the court, I’m going to be the best female volleyball player the world’s seen!”

Shoyou, not to be outdone, cheekily hip-checked her back. “And I'll be the best male volleyball player!”

Natsu raised an eyebrow. These childish arguments had been a tradition between them as long as she could remember. “I’ll just be the best volleyball player in Japan!”

“The best volleyball player in the world!” Shouyou amended.

She scowled with mock venom. “I’m not backing down, dummy!”

“Neither will I!”

“Well, good luck with your height,”

“As if we’re not the exact same height!”

_ “I’m _ tall for a girl. I’m on my way to becoming the best already, just you wait!”

“Only one person can be the best Natsu, don’t you know what ‘best’ means?”

“It must be so difficult for you to understand with your limited vocabulary,”

Their mother laughed. “Now, now, you two... I have no doubt Shoyou will accomplish incredible things at Karasuno.” She patted them on the head reassuringly. “You can both be the best.”

The twins exchanged a look and burst into laughter.

In perfect sync, they told her, “Nope! I won’t lose!”

—

That night, Shoyou and Natsu were lounging on Shoyou’s bed, reading tankōbon of Beelzebub and listening to music on their old boombox together. Shoyou was spread out on the bed, laying on his stomach, and Natsu was leaning against the wall, her legs laid on her brother’s back. The twins had separate rooms in their house, but they still liked to spend time together like when they were children. They sat in silence, the air only filled with the sound of city pop & turning pages. When the music stopped, they sat there in silence.

“Natsu,” Shoyou whined. “Go flip the cassette,” 

“No, you,” Natsu replied, equally childish.

“Whyyyy,” He drew out the word. “You’re the one on top of me,”

“You got to pick out the music today,”

“My room, my rules!”

“Not my fault your music taste is flawed,”

“What do you even have against Tatsuro Yamashita?”

“Everything,”

“Ugh,” Shoyou buried his head in his pillow. “Stupid little sisters,”

“We’re the same size.” she pointed out, putting down her book.

“Ugh, you know I’m talking about age. We should check our heights though,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” Natsu agreed.

Neither of them moved.

“...Are you going to be okay without me?” Shoyou asked hesitantly.

She snorted. “Shouldn’t I be asking  _ you _ that?”

“I guess, but we both know I’ll be fine,”

“As long as you can stand up for yourself— _ without _ crying—sure,”

“Ha ha. You’ll tell me if anything happens, right?”   
  
“Yeah, as long as you do the same,”

They hooked their pinky fingers together silently, not bothering to let go.

“Don’t worry, Sho. I can still make friends without you,” Natsu frowned. “Somehow,”

“Say the word and I’ll help you curbstomp any of those rich kids if they pick on you,” Shoyou threatened enthusiastically.

Natsu laughed.  _ “Wow wow, _ what’s this? So  _ scary _ Sho,”

“I mean it, Nacchan!” Shoyou complained.

“I know,” She ruffled his hair affectionately. “I know.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while.

“...I know they offered boarding too,”

Natsu stiffened at her brother’s words.

“I read your letter. Sorry, I should’ve asked, but,” Shoyou shrugged. “If you want to go, I think you should go for it,”

“No,” Natsu insisted. She shook her head. “No. I can’t leave you and mom behind,”

“You won’t be leaving us behind, you’ll be taking an awesome opportunity,”

“Does mom know?”

“No. I didn’t tell her,”

“Good. It’s a no from me,” She shook her head at her brother’s protest, cutting him off. “I don’t want it, okay?” Natsu sighed. “We’ve already spent so much time separated from each other as a family. I’m not doing this for you guys,” She smiled sadly.  _ “I’m _ being selfish. I want mom’s home-cooked meals and 80s music. I want your stupid stories and manga. I want to hear all about your volleyball team, and not just over the phone. I want to play volleyball in the backyard with you,”

Shoyou gave her a hesitant nod. “...As long as you’re not doing it for us,” Shoyou huffed.

Natsu laughed.  _ What a Shoyou thing to say.  _ “Alright, I swear.”

—

_ A few months later… _

“Natsu!” Shoyou yelled. “You can’t just run off like that! Especially not at night!”

Natsu, with her back facing him, showed no sign that she heard him, jump roping fast enough that the rope was no longer visible.

Shoyou, who shared the same ‘I’m in the zone’ genes, groaned. There was only one way of getting her to pay attention, and it was going to  _ suck.  _

Before he could psych himself out, he grabbed her by the shoulder, yelping when the rope whipped against his arm. Thankfully, she stopped, but still didn’t acknowledge him.

“...Don’t mess up your ankle even more,” he muttered.

  
“I know that better than anyone, dumbass,” she snapped, her shoulders tensing.

Shoyou peeked at her. The light of the park’s lamps cast yellow patterns across Natsu’s skin, shadows dancing with each movement she made. He waited out the silence. They had an unspoken understanding, and while they were absolutely sick of the whole ‘twin telepathy’ joke, he had to admit a twin’s relationship was the closest thing to it.

At the very least, theirs.

Natsu gave an irritated sigh. “ _ I  _ know what you’re going to say. And  _ you _ know what I’m going to say,” She turned to face him wearing an intense gaze that Shoyou could see when he looked in the mirror sometimes. “Do what you want.”

Shoyou gave her an even look, unwilling to break under his sister’s two-ton stare. “...Shiratorizawa’s disbanding the girl’s volleyball team because they're sinking all their money in the boy's. It’s not too late to apply to Seijoh, or hell, Niiyama. You could even come to Karasuno with  _ me—” _

_ “I’m playing volleyball at Shiratorizawa.” _ Natsu swore. “I’ll find a way,” She glowered at him defiantly. “And I’ll  _ still _ be the best,”

The absolute conviction in her voice flooded Shoyou with relief. “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he smirked. “But I  _ won’t _ lose either.”

She grinned back. “You better kick that Kageyama kid’s ass the next time we see him,” Her expression softened around the edges. “Thanks, Sho,” She hugged him and they both patted each other on the back comfortingly. Then they started patting each other progressively harder and harder until Natsu smacked him between his shoulder blades with a vengeance. Shoyou howled at the pain and he could’ve sworn he jumped a foot in the air.

“Mercy! Mercy!” He squawked, jostling out of the hug.

“I win!” she crowed.

_ “Fine,” _ He rubbed his back tenderly. “...I gotta say though, real dramatic of you to run to the park. What, you couldn’t jump rope at home?”

“Shoyou-aho!” she groaned. “I wouldn’t get five minutes in with you there! You already derailed my post-moping emo workout,”

“That’s such a lame name,” He rolled his eyes and slung an arm over her shoulder. “Ah, whatever. Mom made  _ tonkatsu _ curry,”

Natsu started to visibly sparkle. “You should’ve said  _ that  _ first,” She ducked out under his shoulder and tugged on his hand until they were running and jumping down the streets home, weaving in between startled pedestrians and screeching with joy.

Shoyou giggled as they leapt over a fire hydrant and narrowly missed hitting a trash can. “Natsu-boke,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't @ me with the lighting of the pics okay honest to god i still don't understand digital art
> 
> next chapter is where the good shit starts happening though
> 
> [tumblr](https://irleggsywrites.tumblr.com/) | [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/oborokoto/) | irleggsywrites@gmail.com


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t remind me,” Natsu mumbled into the mattress. “...Do you think anyone would be weird about it? If I wore the boy’s uniform?”
> 
> Shoyou shrugged, then realized his sister couldn’t see him. “I dunno. Don’t see why they would be, but I also don’t know what the people at Shiratorizawa are like.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO i can't believe i forgot to add this to my last chapter but uh?? endless thanks to dhas / grilledsquids for letting me use your hinata twins + shiratorizawa / karasuno concept. <3
> 
> also i said things would start heating up this chapter - i lied. it's more exposition because why not. things actually start heating up next chapter, i pinky swear - that's when we get to shiratorizawa. 
> 
> alright, please enjoy !

“Okay. 3...2...1!” Natsu and Shoyou turned to face each other.

Hinata broke out into hysterical laughter at the sight of her. “What is  _ that?” _ He cackled. _ “Is that a bow tie?” _

“This uniform is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” Natsu declared, blushing slightly. “And yes, it is a bow tie. No need to remind me,”

“And it’s white too, that’s going to get _ so  _ dirty,” he said in contempt.

“I know, right? I’ll have to wash it like every day,” she rolled her eyes. “If I weren’t literally getting paid to wear this, I might actually transfer to a school with a different uniform,”

“Okay but, check this out. Isn’t the Karasuno uniform  _ so cool?” _ Shoyou held his hands out to display his outfit, his hoodie peeking out from under the  _ gakuran. _

“Ugh,” Natsu curled her lip in distaste. “I hate to admit it, but yeah. You actually do look cool. A miracle, frankly,”

Shoyou winked at her and ignored her back-handed compliment. “Bet I’m going to get all the ladies and gentlemen with this outfit,”

“You can dream,” Natsu snickered.

“How do you actually feel about the uniform though?” Shoyou asked.

“Honestly, I might just wear the boy’s uniform instead. If I have to wear the world’s ugliest outfit, I at least want to be comfortable,” Natsu sighed.

“Ooh, let me see!”

A few moments later, Natsu tied the knot of her tie properly. “Alright, you can look now,”

Shoyou removed his hands from his eyes. “Wait, wow. That actually looks better on you,” He shrugged. “Or maybe you just look more comfortable. I’m biased but, either one,”

“I’m also just not wearing a  _ bowtie _ anymore,” Natsu sounded  _ very  _ relieved about this fact. “I’m just annoyed that girls and boys have to wear different shoes. The guys get to wear slip-ons and the girls have to wear these stupid lace-up shoes,” She huffed. “Absolute bull,”

“...Okay but hear me out,” Natsu leaned in and whispered as if he was about to tell her a big secret. “What if you wore the skirt  _ over _ the pants?”

She threw the skirt at his head. “Dumbass,”

He threw the skirt back at her face, along with the rest of the clothing on his bed. “You just don’t know what fashion is!”

Natsu flung items back at him just as quickly. “If that’s your idea of fashion I’d rather not,” Their ‘argument’ ended when Shoyou took a pillow to the head with a loud  _ thwap _ sound.

They both crashed back onto the bed, Shoyou on his back, Natsu face first. “This is what we’ll be wearing. For the next three years of our life,” Shoyou noted.

“Don’t remind me,” Natsu mumbled into the mattress. “...Do you think anyone would be weird about it? If I wore the boy’s uniform?”

Shoyou shrugged, then realized his sister couldn’t see him. “I dunno. Don’t see why they would be, but I also don’t know what the people at Shiratorizawa are like.”

She made a glum noise.    
  
“At the very least, the administration should be alright. They were willing to take  _ me, _ right? I wasn’t expecting that,” Shoyou chewed the inside of his cheek. “But it should be fine. We can cross that bridge when we get to it,”

“Of course they would be willing to take you. I wouldn’t go to a school that wouldn’t,” Natsu said petulantly.

Shoyou giggled. “Could you imagine if I went to Shiratorizawa though? I—”

“Natsu! Shoyou!” Their mother’s voice echoed through their room. The twins exchanged a look. That shout  _ never _ led to good things. 

“Save that thought for later,” Natsu said.

“Coming!” they shouted back, hurriedly flinging the door open and running down the stairs two at a time.

As they entered the living room, they spotted her. Their mother was curling over herself on the couch, clutching onto their old telephone for dear life, the dial tone playing through the speaker. Her other hand was covering her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Mom…” Shoyou started.

“What happened?” Natsu whispered. They sat down on the couch on either side of her, wrapping her in a gentle hug from either side. Natsu passed her a tissue which she accepted gratefully, blowing her nose.

When she calmed down a bit, she took a deep breath, and told them, “It’s your Ikkei-ojiisan,” She turned to Shoyou. “He’s in the hospital,”

Shoyou flinched back.  _ “No,” _ he breathed.

—

Hand-in-hand, Natsu and Shoyou entered the hospital room quietly. Keishin nii-san was already sitting there, head in his hands, silently observing his grandfather in between his fingers. The elder Ukai laid in bed, unconscious and unaware of the world around him. Despite all of the equipment attached to him, he looked peaceful, chest rising and lowering with ease.

While their mother slowly approached the hospital bed, the twins beelined for Keishin. “Ah geez, you kids don’t need to—mmph!” They cut him off and held him in a hug.

“It’s going to be alright, nii-chan,” Natsu said, voice strained.

“Shouldn’t I be the one telling you that?” Keishin asked, faintly amused.

They ignored him. “Grandpa is going to recover and he’ll kick your ass again someday,” Shoyou sniffled. “He’ll be okay. It’ll be alright,”

“Oi, who said he was going to kick my ass? And when did you two get so familiar with us?” Keishin chided them. Still, he returned the hug, holding them tight. 

Eventually, they stopped embracing him, turning to face their grandfather figure. Their mother was caressing his hand, trying to hold back tears. She held his hand up to her forehead, breathing deeply. Shoyou swallowed, hard, and approached him, Natsu following suit.

For a while, they quietly watched him, the furrowed lines of his eyebrow uncharacteristically smooth, his smile lines still creasing around the edges of his eyes. 

“May I… have a moment with your grandfather… alone?” their mother asked.

Keishin nearly leapt out of his chair and nodded. “Nacchan. Shocchan,” He jerked his head towards the door. 

Their mother protested. “Oh, you guys can stay—”

“Hinata,” Keishin’s face softened.  _ “Mariya. _ It’s alright. Just let me watch the kids for you, okay?”

Natsu and Shoyou nodded. “It’s okay, mom. We know,” Shoyou reached out and held her shoulder. She teared up once again.

“...Okay. Okay,” she nodded. 

Natsu pressed a kiss to Ikkei’s forehead. “Bye, Ojiisan,”

—

Keishin was walking the kids home in relative silence, fiddling with his hands.

“How’s the store?” Shoyou asked.

Keishin snorted and kicked a rock aside the sidewalk. “Sakanoshita is Sakanoshita. It’s a convenience store, not exactly the most exciting place to be,”

Natsu gave him her puppy eyes. “Are we still cute enough to get free pork buns though?”

Keishin huffed and flicked her in the forehead. “For the record, you guys would get free pork buns even if you were the ugliest children I’ve ever seen. But yes, you are both cute enough for free buns,”

Shoyou and Natsu cheered despite the sombre atmosphere surrounding them. Keishin openly laughed at them this time.  _ Sometimes, _ he swore,  _ they think more with their stomachs than they think with their heads. _

“Nii-san… you can smoke if you want to,” Natsu said.

Keishin blanched. “N-no, I shouldn’t be a bad influence on you guys—”

“We’re already 15,” Natsu waved him off.

“Yeah! And we’ve seen you smoking for years. If we wanted to smoke we would’ve done so already,” Shoyou pointed out.

Natsu smacked him across the head. “Dumbass. You can’t become the Little Giant if your lungs give out on the court,”

Keishin’s eyes bugged out of his head. “You guys are already 15?”

Shoyou stuck out his tongue. “And  _ you’re _ already 25,” Keishin made an apprehensive noise as if to say  _ ugh, don’t remind me. _

“We were born just on the cutoff, remember? We’re June babies,” Natsu explained.

“Just smoke already! We can see your hands twitching from here,” Shoyou complained.

“I can’t believe I’m being bullied into smoking cigarettes by a pair of middle-schoolers,” Keishin joked. He was already pulling out a pack however, lighting one up and blowing out a cloud of smoke in relief. If there was any time to stress-smoke, it was now. “I swear though, it was just yesterday that I met you brats,”

Natsu elbowed her brother in the side. “Shoyou left quite an impression, eh? Eh?”

Keishin snickered. “Yeah, an impression on my  _ face,” _

“I said I’m sorry!” Shoyou whined. “I spiked a volleyball in your face one time!  _ Years _ ago! Will you guys ever let go of that?”

“No _ pe,” _ Keishin said, popping the  _ p. _ “Maybe it was only one time, but it was also the first time. First _ impressions _ are very important,”

Natsu giggled at Shoyou, his face a bright shade of pink. Keishin joined in, pinching his cheeks.

He groaned in embarrassment and swatted away his hand. “Stop laughing at my pain!”

_ “Your _ pain? You mean  _ my  _ pain!”

They kept talking all the way back to the convenience store, purposely avoiding the topic of Ikkei’s health.

—

Shoyou was practicing his attack footwork in the backyard when Natsu opened the back door cautiously. Holding a volleyball in her hands, she sat down on the ledge of their little deck, observing her brother go in for an invisible attack, over and over again. 

She had spent her entire life with her twin brother, but he would never cease to amaze her with his jumps.

“You good?” Natsu asked, awkward yet nonchalant as possible.

Shoyou nodded, pausing his drills, still looking up into the night sky.

“He’ll be okay,” Natsu pointed out. 

“...But he won’t be at school,” Shoyou’s breath was coming out in little white puffs, dissipating into the air. “He won’t be the coach.”

Natsu followed his gaze, spotting a smattering of stars. It was the perfect weather for astronomy, the constellations usually invisible due to pollution or overcast weather. “Does that change anything for you?”

“I dunno,” Shoyou looked down at his hands, calloused with years of experience. “Probably.” He returned to his footwork drills, jumping higher and higher each time. Again, he halted, kneeling on the ground. “Probably not,”

There was a comfortable silence where they both basked in the moonlight.

“...At least it doesn’t change my dreams. Still want to go to Karasuno, still want to follow in the Little Giant’s footsteps. This just. Wasn’t the way I expected it to happen,” He sighed. “It just means I’ll go about my dreams in a different direction.”

Natsu smiled, bittersweet and affectionate. “Alright, that’s enough of your  _ ‘lonely attack drills,’ _ ” She tossed the ball to him, and despite facing the other direction, he instinctively caught it. 

“Two-player set and touch?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Natsu cracked her neck and leaned back far enough to crack her back. She rotated each of her ankles, then hopped off the ledge to lean into a squat, alternating her weight on each leg. “Stakes?”

Shoyou hummed and then sent her a mischievous smirk. “Whoever drops the ball first has to cook dinner for the whole family for… a week,” 

“Deal,” She cracked her knuckles and then crouched down, preparing to set the ball. 

_ “And _ they have to do the dishes,” Shoyou added, then sent the ball flying.

“Hey wait a minute—!” Natsu just barely caught the ball, distracted, and kicked Hinata in the shin when he went to touch her. “I’m not agreeing to  _ that!” _ She set the ball back. 

“What, you scared?” he laughed, catching the ball with ease. He wheezed when Natsu’s ‘touch’ was a jab to the stomach.

She scowled as she set the ball. “Fine. Get ready to eat dirt, you sneaky little shit,”

That night, they did their set and touch until their hands went numb. 

(Natsu was the decisive victor.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [two player set and touch exercise mentioned in the chapter](https://coachingvb.com/drill-2-player-set-touch/)
> 
> ahhhh the reasoning behind ukai's presence will be revealed later. i have like. a whole bunch of expositional childhood scenes that didn't make narrative sense to insert yet so i'll splice those in when they become relevant and you can get unlock their Tragic Backstories because i don't know how to write anything that isn't angst. _*jazz hands*_
> 
> shoyou kept stealing her hoodies so natsu kept cropping them so now all of her clothes are cropped. also i will reformat a bunch of this stuff later i'm just in a rush rn~
> 
> also - it's legitimately so cool how sky full of stars (which this is inspired by) splices in a whole 'nother sport (soccer) into the narrative and honest to god i wish i could do that but i legitimately haven't played a team sport since i was a toddler. my athletic areas of expertise are limited - i'm unsure of the prevalence of gymnastics in japan and i just don't know how exciting a fanfiction about powerlifting would be. so i'll really just have to rely on my hq!! volleyball knowledge and play it by ear.
> 
> [tumblr](https://irleggsywrites.tumblr.com/) | [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/oborokoto/) | irleggsywrites@gmail.com
> 
> thank you for reading & please leave a comment on your way out--it’s the only way my stupid lizard brain stays motivated to write. stay safe guys!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nesting in her hiding spot, she sighed and breathed in the familiar scent of menthol Biofreeze spray and sweat. Maybe not the best smell in the world, but it smelled like home nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just an itty bitty chapter this time! my apologies, it's all i can offer atm. :,) enjoy!

Years of competition between Natsu and Shoyou had pushed them to outdo each other in almost every way. Better at reading, better at running, better at volleyball—cycling was no exception. Every day without fail, they would compete to see who could get to Yukigaoka faster. This meant that over the years, what would constitute a forty-five-minute bike ride was cut down to half an hour, then again, to _ twenty minutes.  _

While Shoyou would continue their old commute on his way to Karasuno, Natsu had a very  _ different _ path to take to Shiratorizawa. She had been given the option to take the 30-minute bus ride, but to be honest, she didn’t want to give up such an essential part of her daily routine. If Shoyou kept cycling every day but Natsu didn’t, what would happen to her stamina? She wouldn’t be able to compete with him anymore.

So, she decided to bike to Shiratorizawa. Obviously.

The break before school started, Natsu would bike back and forth to Shiratorizawa each morning. There were no mountains or slopes for her to go over, which made it kind of boring, but it was admittedly much easier.

Going at a lackadaisical pace, she made it to the gates in an hour. After that, she took a short break for a snack and some water, picnicking in their stupidly pristine fields, then headed back at the same rate for a two-hour round trip. Day by day, she sped up until she was at her typical pace. 40 minutes was the shortest she could make the trip without really pushing herself, but with a little bit of sweat, she could shave it down to half an hour.

Two weeks passed before she even knew it and the day had come—her first day at Shiratorizawa.

Natsu decided to set her alarm earlier than she needed so she could take her time on her way to school. She passed Shoyou’s room in envy—not only was his commute shorter, but Karasuno straight-up started later, giving him an extra hour to sleep in. Lucky bastard.

Quickly throwing on her uniform, she slung her bag over her shoulder and ran to the kitchen. She froze up, shocked, when she saw her mother in the dining room with a full spread of mouth-watering food. “Mom? Don’t you have work?”

She smiled back at her. “I got permission from my boss to come in later. I wanted to surprise you guys with a first-day-of-school breakfast,” She pulled out a chair for her daughter. “Come, sit.”

Natsu was so grateful she almost cried.

* * *

_Wow._ _I’m screwed._

Natsu had made it to Shiratorizawa with plenty of time to spare. She had even found a bike rack that looked like it had never been used before, but there was one problem: she had no goddamn clue where she was. 

Natsu was directionally challenged. Heightwise, yes (shut up Shoyou we’re the same height), but also in terms of getting around. If you asked her how long a meter was, she wouldn’t be able to estimate. She used google maps for everything. Shoyou frequently joked that she could get lost in their own house.

In the past, she’d visited Shiratorizawa as a prospective student for tours, but because she was  _ stupid _ the only things she really paid attention to were the sports facilities. 

Additionally, while she did have a map, she couldn’t really make heads or tails of it.

The whole minimalist theme they had going on meant that it was the most non-descriptive piece of paper she’d ever laid eyes on.

_ If Shoyou was here, he’d be teasing me right now. He’d also find the right building in 20 seconds flat.  _ Natsu scowled and waved away the thoughts.  _ Shoyou isn’t here though. You’re on your own. _

She was grasping for straws here. This early in the morning, the campus seemed deserted, so she couldn’t ask anyone for directions. She wasn’t in the mood to aimlessly wander on the off-chance she would find the right building either.

So.

She headed towards the one place she knew the location of: the volleyball gymnasium.

Solely the _ boy’s _ volleyball gymnasium now.

She scowled. 

* * *

Slipping herself in through a crack in the gym doors, Natsu scurried up to the stands quickly. Maybe a little quicker than she would’ve usually gone for, but she wasn’t entirely sure she was allowed to be here. Thankfully, the entire team was so engrossed in their practice that she had nothing to worry about. She might as well have been a ghost.

Nesting in her hiding spot, she sighed and breathed in the familiar scent of menthol Biofreeze spray and sweat. Maybe not the best smell in the world, but it smelled like  _ home  _ nonetheless. Finally glancing down at the courts and letting her eyes roam over the team, she quickly took note of their… interesting hairstyles. Not that she was one to talk, but still. Shiratorizawa’s boys’ volleyball team looked like they stepped out of a hair salon that took creative liberties.

Holding back a yawn, she observed the team member with a sharp eye. Now, who was this famed ‘Ushiwaka’ that kept showing up in volleyball monthly? A silver-haired boy with dyed black tips set the ball flashily and it soared through the air with a high arc.  _ There’s no one here who really stuck out at the moment in terms of technique—  _

And then a green-haired boy— no, a  _ man? —  _ did a beautiful run-up and  _ flew _ across the court, preparing to hit the ball with an unwavering faith.

Back gracefully arched, knees bent at the perfect angle and feet positioned for optimal energy conservation, his well-structured arms were stretched perfectly taut, a spool of thread pulled tight enough to  _ snap. _

His arm shot forward.

_ BOOM. _

With impeccable precision, the ball hit the backline of the court.

Natsu blinked from where she was hidden in the stands. _ Holy shit. _

A boy with impossibly red hair bounced up to the spiker. “Nice kill Ushijima!” He chirped, holding out his hands for a double high-five.

Ushijima nodded and blatantly ignored the request for a high five, making the red-haired boy cry out dramatically. Ushijima sighed, and then, by complete chance, he glanced up at her.

Natsu froze.

Ushijima’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

She looked left and right, just to double-check he wasn’t staring down anyone else. Nope, she was completely alone. Impulsively, she turned back and waved at him enthusiastically.

Confused, Ushijima’s hand slowly lifted and he gave her a single wave back. 

Natsu grinned. _ ‘Nice kill!’  _ she mouthed.

Ushijima was still perplexed. Turning away, he resumed practice. 

  
Natsu held in a giggle. She  _ had _ heard that he was supposed to be eccentric. She guessed the rumors weren’t false. Settling back into her seat, she went back to quietly watching their practice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just an fyi: this fic will probably have the most lax updates out of all of my other fics because it's my writing guilty pleasure. i come back to this when i need a break from my other works, and i'm readily approaching a creative burnout soon.
> 
> [tumblr](https://irleggsywrites.tumblr.com/)|[instagram](https://www.instagram.com/oborokoto/)| i also have a new [twitter](https://twitter.com/irleggsy) that i'll be using to post updates on my fics! i'll be working on 'i thought love was free' and 'will you grow tired of tearing yourself apart' next.
> 
> please leave a comment on your way out, it's the only way my stupid lizard brain stays motivated to write <3 ciao!


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